CCSG Developmental Funds are important to allow Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center leadership opportunities to pursue new initiatives that align with the strategic plan. The funds provide support for strategic priorities that further the cancer center mission. CCSG Developmental Funds are usually leveraged alongside institutional and philanthropic funds to support key faculty recruitment, shared resource development and innovative pilot projects. During the current project period, CCSG developmental funds supported 9 new faculty investigators; significant investment in shared resources to develop new techniques and to enhance new utilization of shared resource services; and 24 pilot projects. These efforts have catalyzed collaborative efforts within and across CCSG Programs that have yielded an impressive overall return on investment, measured as publications and grants awarded as a result of the pilot research. The CCSG/ Roswell Park Alliance Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee process administers and oversees allocation of cancer center pilot project funding. Meritorious, high impact, high risk projects are considered through this funding mechanism. This process has worked well to ensure internal, peer-review of the applications. Candace Johnson, CCSG PI ultimately manages the allocation process and ensures requests are in line with the Strategic Plan and cancer center priorities. CCSG Developmental Funds add value by providing a flexible, dynamic source of funding that further the overall mission and priorities of the center. Developmental Funds provide the opportunity to fund innovative pilot projects, support new shared resources or enhance existing shared resources with new technologies, and recruit key faculty in alignment with the strategic plan. During the next grant period, funds will support recruitment, shared resources: ? Recruitments: The Center will recruit 2 key investigators per year. Developmental funds of $300,000 a year will be used to support new investigators in each of the CCSG programs over project period. ? Shared Resources: The Center will use $100,000 a year to help develop new Shared Resources such as Community Engagement Shared Resource, invest funds in new technologies to enhance existing shared resources. ? Pilot Grants: Grants will be awarded to individual investigators through the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) process, to each research program, and for Team Science. Strategic emphasis will be placed on funding proposals that are collaborative and interdisciplinary in order to encourage large multi-investigator initiatives and grants. Developmental funds of $200,000 a year will be used to support pilot projects.